The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

g - Otono Weekly Times, Wednesday, March 22.2000 1 Out of Africa - Part 9 Art in Zimbabwe by: Aubrey and Koren Kassirer Now that we have left Zimbabwe, we can step back and reflect on our experiences with art and artists. Our first exposure to art in Zimbabwe was at the big city market stalls, bombarded by aggressive aggressive salespeople. Row after row of similar artwork, with no obvious separation between different "shops", and with seemingly no room for original thought. The seller seller always claimed to be the artist or the brother of the artist. When asked why everything looked the same, the explanation was a common common teacher. This did not really jive with our Western perception of art (not that it necessarily had to). Arts and Crafts here come in many different media: Wpod carvings, basket weaving, weaving, stone sculpture, batik, potato printing, pottery, weaving weaving and embroidery. The people people who sell these arts come in two varieties - those who actually create the work themselves, themselves, and those who are just trying to hustle whomever possible to make a buck. The latter have a . host of stocklines stocklines for regurgitation whenever whenever asked any questions about the artwork. After seeing seeing many pieces of art being hustled, any artistic meaning or significance had been lost. What was the true value or meaning of these wooden giraffes or stone faces? We then began to despair that there were very few true artists with a passion for their work in this country. They seem to have been replaced by "scam artists". Jhe road to redemption began with a trip to the National Gallery. We visited an exceptional Shonâ Sculpture Garden on the Gallery grounds. The pieces., were exquisite. They also had an exhibit of local artists' work - the result of a countrywide countrywide competition. One of the gallery security guards proudly proudly showed us a small stone piece he had submitted, earning earning him an honourable mention. mention. This was the artistic spirit we had hoped to find. Art is used as a means of providing income and thus bettering peoples' position in life. Many projects have been set up to teach people skills so they can create work to sell. One such example was the Mzilikazi Pottery Cooperative in Bulawayo. Many students have trained in sculpture and pottery at this institution. The work they produce is quite extraordinary. Another success story is the Tengenenge Artist Cooperative. It is a commune in the hills a few hours north of Harare. It was started about 50 years ago by an English sculptor who still lives there in a mud hut. Some of the best-known Shona sculptors learned their skills there. The artists farm vegetables as well as sculpt to help support the cooperative. Our experience there was quite overwhelming. overwhelming. There were literally hundreds hundreds of thousands of stone sculptures spread out as far as we could see, freestanding or on wooden pedestals throughout throughout the forested area of the commune. Over 500 sculptors sculptors \4ere represented at this garden, each with his or her own individual style. It was easy to tell where one "stall" ended and another began because the styles varied so 'much from one artist to the next. Once we dealt with the hurdles of size and cost, discovering discovering that they are well equipped for distance shipping, shipping, we noted a few favourites and headed home, still overwhelmed by five hours of sculpture viewing. We rented a vehicle and repeated the 90 minute journey journey the next week, now less overwhelmed and able to focus on our preferred pieces. After negotiating the extremely extremely flexible prices, we were able to purchase the pieces we liked. Hopefully they will meet us at home, still intact. Quite differently, the women in ' the beautiful Bviimba highlands sell white cotton tablecloths with small colourful embroidered images of women performing typical everyday chores. They were taught this skill and shown the designs about forty years ago by an English Woman pnd her daughter, after witnessing the poverty of the people. The skills and the patterns have been passed on to the next generation, seemingly without without any variation or imagination. imagination. Debates about what constitutes constitutes art are interesting, but these tablecloths at least represent represent the skill of the women involved, selling their wares along the winding mountain roadsides. In Zimbabwe, each area has its own community of artists and sellers, supported by the tourist economy. Most communities focus on the skill of reproducing a unique concept to support the local people. In Kariba, in memory of the displaced Tonga people, people, people carve the Nyaminyami Walking Stick. 'Other communities, like Horticulture hold first meeting of the year by Dorothy Barnett It began to feel a bit like spring with the first meeting of the year 2000, for the Orono Horticultural Society, on March 16, in the Main Hall of Orono United Church. President Loma Atkins gave a warm welcome and we sang "O Canada" with Doreen Loweiy at the piano. As this was the St. Patrick's show, Loma read a "Cherished Irish Blessing." The minutes as read by Secretary Pat Bales were approved. A good deal of correspondence correspondence had come in since the last meeting in December 1999. The bus trip to Canada Blooms on March 22 is now fully booked. Ann Anderson announced details of a buss trip planned by the Bowmanville Horticultural Society to the Hamilton Botanical Gardens on June 10. Doris Neely announced the Toronto Flower Show at the Civic Garden Centre on May 9 and 10. District 17 of the Ontario Horticultural Association is planning schools for exhibitors and judges in Horticulture and Floral Design to be held on five separate weekends in Pickering. The Treasurer's report was given by Flo Sharpe. The total membership in the Society stands at eighty-five and several new members were welcomed to the meeting. meeting. The guest speaker of the evening, Anna Bragg, was capably introduced by Shelley Etmanskie. The Bragg's family farm is located north-east of Bowmanville and Anna began her talk with comments on the changes in farming in recent times. Their business In seeds for birds began in 1991 and they prepare and sell seeds of many varieties for various birds, such as racing pigeons as well as wild birds. Some of the seeds, such as sunflowers and corn, are grown on their own farm while special seeds are imported from many places. Great care is taken in preparing preparing and cleaning the seed mixtures and lab tests are Tengenenge and Mzilikazi, harbour a somewhat transient community of artists trained with skills and encouraged to forge ahead in independence. When Koren taught the unemployed youth in the area around Howard the skills of papier mache and papermaking, papermaking, she showed them several different potential uses -and designs. It will be up to them to choose what kind of product product and community they will develop. done to ensure top quality. Anna had many samples of seeds which were passed around the audience. Feeding wild birds has become an enjoyable hobby and is gaining more popularity popularity as people have more time in retirement. The varieties of birds have many preferences preferences such as sunflower seeds for blue jays. It is good practice to keep feeders clean to prevent mold and so on. Anna emphasized the fun of attracting birds to feeders and described their family's enjoyment of watching people with cameras, step ladders arid other equipment who come to photograph their sunflower field in flower. Many questions were asked and very capably answered by our guest who was thanked by June Heard. A round of applause showed how much the members had enjoyed the guest speaker. We enjoyed a short singsong singsong accompanied by Doreen Lowery. She gave the show results, a small number of entries but attractive ones, which were judged by the audience. A tasty lunch was served by Loma Atkins, Inez Harris and Minnie Zegers to conclude the evening. SHOW RESULTS ST. PATRICK'S SHOW SECTION A Decorative 1. So green was my valley 1) Minnie Zegers 2. Leprechaun Tea - arrangement in a tea cup 1) Pat Bales 2. Jessie Watkins 3. Inez Harris 3. Robin Redbreast - a door decoration 1) Pat Bales 2) Minnie Zegers DATES TO REMEMBER Buffet Luncheon - April 13, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.. Main Hall, Orono United Church Next meeting - April 20th - House Plant Show and Plant Sale - Guest Speaker Dini Schoenmaker ri NEWCASTLE FUNERAL HOME Family owned and operated by Carl Good and Joyce Kufta 386 Mill St. S., Newcastle 987-3964 "Caring for our Community" Let us help ' . vu- finance your dreams! IT I n l/s D U CA Mortgages * 6 month closed . . . . . . > 7.25% 6 month convertible . . .7.25% 1 year closed . 7.25% 3 years closed .............. 7,90% 5years closed I. .8.00% * Rates subject to change without notice DUCA CREDIT UNION Oshawa & Bowmanville Branches, Manager Paul Muller 15 Charles Street 136 King Street East Phone: (905) 728-4658 ' Phone: (905) 623-6343 E-mail: duca.info@duca.coln Internet: www.duca.com